Info needed - BMW Remote with Comfort Access

[blast1st]

Originally Posted by besiktas

I got confort access. just replace the remote key battery when the low battery message shows up. it is 2$ in CVS or buy from amazon. lasts about 1.5 yrs

I have a mobile question. How do I replace the battery on my key?!

[EPOS]

Nope, the non-CA fob is from a thread started on E90post. Eventually the rechargeable battery in the non-CA fob wears out and won't hold a charge anymore. It's a DIY that someone posted on swapping out the soldered battery...which as you can see is only ONE battery.

[spdy330]

Good information. Thanks for finding that.

Originally Posted by EPOS

Nope, the non-CA fob is from a thread started on E90post. Eventually the rechargeable battery in the non-CA fob wears out and won't hold a charge anymore. It's a DIY that someone posted on swapping out the soldered battery...which as you can see is only ONE battery.

[blast1st]

Originally Posted by blast1st

I have a noobie question. How do I replace the battery on my key?!

Never mind I found this vid in youtube.

[Nola 32/65]

My fiancé's car is a fully loaded e92 including Comfort Access and when we got it from Momentum BMW in Houston we had 2 salesmen helping us and at 2 different times they each told us to make sure to charge the key for the reasons your SA told you.

I've never had any reason to question this until seeing this thread. We've only had the fob in the slot for maybe a hour total since she got the car in Nov of last year.

Not really sure now lol.

[M3 n X5M]

Dealer staff are general public in disguise.

Do not take their remarks seriously.

Just go with what makes sense.

The key from your 11 M3 is just like everyone else's here and the single battery is readily replaced.

The SA and his handy crew are talking old news... Related to a non-comfort access platform.

They are general, absolute and hard faced when challenged. None if the people at a dealer are engineers or development personnel. They do not really know anything, except some misplaced facts memorized by rote.

My latest purchase included a set of two keys just like yours and the sales guy swore one key was failing.

I replaced the battery on both. And one day, one of the keys lost its settings. It turns out the CA keys on the 08 M3 lose their programming if you lock them in the car with the removable hard key. The 'same' key that comes with my 11 X5M never has this issue.

So, the moral: I isolated the single instance when my defective key becomes defective. The dealer had locked one of the keys in my 08 and that is why it would later appear to be failing. And this goes to prove they know very little.

[CSBM5]

"I think I would rely on what BMW has on printed rather than the forum. "

Seriously? BMW has never shown anywhere that the CA key has two batteries. That dealer has misinterpreted "what BMW has printed" and then pushed that incorrect information to you and assigning it to BMW. Sad really.

I wonder if they'll actually admit it when they are clearly wrong. If not, you know you're dealing with the wrong dealership.

[peeti]

And now a note to the actual issue! Which pocket do you keep your key in when driving? Right pocket by chance? I do - and I get the warning from time to time. The antenna for the CA sensor is located near the OBD port on the knee kick panel I believe. I thought I stumbled across it when installing my radar detector. Judging by the purported location (someone please confirm) your body and keys could be blocking the signal. For me, to just wiggle the keys a bit gets the message off the screen. Just happens from time to time - more with a stale battery.

And the gist of the thread is correct - there is NO battery on the ICB. The only battery is the replaceable button batter which does not charge.

[kenwelch]

Originally Posted by spdy330

Me:


XXXX,

Thanks for getting back to me with this information. I will review it once I get home from work but I still am trying to see where this so called internal rechargeable battery is on the inside. On my link I provided it does not appear to have a battery soldered on the circuit board hence the reason for my questioning this.

Once I review I will see what other FORUM members have to say.

Thank you,

Eric

Sent from my iPhone



SA:


Eric,

I think I would rely on what BMW has on printed rather than the forum. Let me know if you have any other concerns. I’m glad to hear the noise in gone.

Have a good day,

XXXX

The E90 Complete Vehicle Technical Manual is correct. The Shop Foreman is just pulling information from two different sections and saying they are correct about "dual" batteries. Below is the link to the technical manual. You will notice in the Table of Contents there is a section titled "Central Locking System" which includes page 27 they provided as the second screen capture. This is NOT discussing the Comfort Access System.

In the next section in the Table of Contents there is a section titled "Comfort Access" this is where page 43 (the first screen capture provided) is located. This section clearly describes the CA style Identification Transmitter and battery arrangement.

http://www.e90post.com/forums/attach...3&d=1311515642

The tech or shop forman just did a quick search for "Comfort Access" in the BMW Technical Service Information as seen in the screen capture but didn't really "filter" what he was reading.

To be fair modern BMW technicians have to be speed readers and digest 1000's of pages of information to be able to earn a living. We're sitting at our computers relaxed tossing around technical tidbits. As an automotive instructor for 41 years I have had the opportunity to attend BMW (and other mfg's) training and externships. The current rate of new systems and information that technicians must deal with always makes me a little sympathetic to an occasional misunderstanding. Give the dealer team some love and get studying the technical manual.

[spdy330]

Thanks guys for all your input. I hope the SA and shop foreman follows this thread as I have provided them with the link. All I would like to hear is that they were wrong and that everyone else out here was correct including myself. I highly doubt that will happen but you never know.

By their claim that I need to put it in the charging slot from time to time is like a placebo. You would believe it is doing something because someone told you it is.

I also keep the fob in my right pocket as my wallet stays in the left .

It really sounded stupid when they were explaining to me that there is another rechargeable battery in the remote.

[Nola 32/65]

Like I said, I was told it was rechargeable too from a BMW dealership in Houston. Kind of odd that 4 different BMW employees would all think the same thing, I'm sure theirs more too.

[CrusherM3]

I have been confused about this in the past. I have gotten the low charge key notice alert thing before also when I have my key in my pocket. I pull it out and put in the slot and the message goes away.

But , right now I am driving a 2014 328 loaner while my M3 is in the shop and it has comfort access and it doesn't even have the slot for the key FOB. Once I get in the car if I still have the FOB in my hand I just throw it in the cup holders. No place to put it and definitely no place to charge.

[kenwelch]

Originally Posted by Nola 32/65

Like I said, I was told it was rechargeable too from a BMW dealership in Houston. Kind of odd that 4 different BMW employees would all think the same thing, I'm sure theirs more too.

Remember that 3 of those were not Service Technicians or Shop Foreman level employees that would be trained and provided the Technical Service Information for study.

I had a sales associate say that the M3 has run flat tires when I purchased in 2008. On a recent visit to see a F80 M3 the sales associate did not know that the M-DCT shift levels could be adjusted with the switch (Drivelogic program selector button) near the shifter. We have another thread on all those type statements. This is not just a BMW problem and has been the norm for years.
As we see the sales numbers for BMW climb every month, remember where are the additional trained technicians coming from?
It is currently difficult to find qualified people to repair the technical level of vehicles we drive.

[Nola 32/65]

Originally Posted by kenwelch

Remember that 3 of those were not Service Technicians or Shop Foreman level employees that would be trained and provided the Technical Service Information for study.

I had a sales associate say that the M3 has run flat tires when I purchased in 2008. On a recent visit to see a F80 M3 the sales associate did not know that the M-DCT shift levels could be adjusted with the switch (Drivelogic program selector button) near the shifter. We have another thread on all those type statements. This is not just a BMW problem and has been the norm for years.
As we see the sales numbers for BMW climb every month, remember where are the additional trained technicians coming from?
It is currently difficult to find qualified people to repair the technical level of vehicles we drive.

Point taken. I've also been told (by other salesmen) that the M has run flats. At least the one we bought ours from made sure to tell us they didn't and he double checked if we had the little air pump.

I do understand that these cars are pretty technical and theirs not that many qualified techs as their needs to be among the higher end car brands.